SAARBRCKEN

city, capital (1959) of Saarland Land (state), southwestern Germany, on the Saar River at the mouth of the Sulz River, a frontier station opposite Forbach, Fr. There were Celtic and Roman settlements in the vicinity, but the name is derived from the Frankish royal castle of Sarrabrucca, referring to a bridge across the river dating from Roman times. Its early rulers were the bishops of Metz and the counts of Saarbrcken. Chartered in 1321, it belonged to the counts of Nassau-Saarbrcken until it was occupied by the French in 1793. It passed to Prussia in 1815 and became the capital of the Saar region in 1919. The present city was formed in 1909 by the union of the former Saarbrcken with Burbach-Malstatt, Sankt Johann, and Sankt Arnual. Heavily bombed during World War II, it has been rebuilt. Historic buildings include the old town hall (1750), the Baroque Ludwigskirche (176275), the Gothic abbey church of St. Arnual (c. 12701330), the Old Bridge over the Saar (1546), and the 15th-century castle church. The 18th-century castle, formerly belonging to the counts of Nassau-Saarbrcken, stands on the site of the Sarrabrucca. The city is the industrial, commercial, and cultural centre of the great Saar coal-mining region. It is the site of the University of the Saar (1948) and has specialized technical colleges, the State Museum of Pre- and Early History, and the Land administrative offices and courts. Iron and steel are the most important industries; there are also breweries, food-processing plants, printing works, and factories producing machinery, optical instruments, clothing, paper, soap, lime, and cement. The international Saar Fair is held there annually. The city is an important road and rail junction, and there is an airport to the east. Pop. (1989 est.) 188,467.